Reviews

Mansion

Bass Fam Creative. Adelaide Fringe. The Octagon at Gluttony, Adelaide, Feb 21 – March 5, 2023

I somehow missed Matador and couldn’t get in to see Oracle, so I was keen to see Bass Fam’s latest production of Mansion, billed as a “spine tingling, gothic fusion of dance, circus & burlesque”.

An Andrews Sisters Tribute

TS Entertainment Co. Adelaide Fringe. Various venues. February 23rd – March 4th, 2023

Described as the most popular female vocal group of the first half of the 20th century, The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto Laverne, soprano Maxene, and mezzo-soprano Patty and it is this vocal range that helped them create the range and depth of their sound. During WWII, they entertained the Allied forces extensively in Africa, Italy, and in the U.S., visiting Army, Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard bases, war zones, hospitals, and munitions factories. They encouraged U.S.

Adults Only Magic Show

Showmen Productions. Adelaide Fringe. The May Wirth at Gluttony, Adelaide. Feb 21 – March 19, 2023.

My uncle was a magician, and I remember him taking me, when young, to the magicians’ secret club, which was (and maybe still is) in an underground clubroom in the western suburbs of Adelaide.

While he never disclosed the secrets of his trade, he did instil a love of magic that has remained with me ever since.

In Adults Only Magic Show, Sam and Justin present sixty minutes of adult humour, sleight-of-hand, illusions, mentalism, and a chance of nudity. It all happens later in the evening and is extremely well done!

Cyrano

By Virginia Gay (after Edmond Rostand). Melbourne Theatre Company, Black Swan State Theatre Company and Perth Festival. Directed by Sarah Goodes. Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA. Feb 17 - Mar 5, 2023

Melbourne Theatre Company, with Black Swan State Theatre Company and Perth Festival, present this glorious, modern retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. Unashamedly and conspicuously theatrical, this clever queer framed rendition captures and embraces its audience in a tale of acceptance and love.

Leather Lungs: Higher Love

Adelaide Fringe. Ben Anderson Presents. The Lark at Gluttony, Adelaide Feb 21 – March 5, 2023

The average male singing voice spans just over two octaves, but Jason Chasland has no average voice. At four octaves Jason, or ‘leather lungs’, joins the illustrious company of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie and proceeds to make the stage his own!

Of Mice and Men

By John Steinbeck. Stirling Players. Directed by Tim Riessen (assisted by Sharon Thomas). Feb 10-25, 2022

Stirling Players’ stage presentation of John Steinbeck’s classic, Of Mice and Men is attracting much attention, including some sell-out performances, and features some strong performances.

The Evolution Revolution

By Kimberley Sim. Adelaide Fringe. Singapore’s Conundrum Theatre. The Chapel at the Migration Museum. 21-26 February 2023

‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,’ says Digby Tofu at the start of this new play from Singapore’s Conundrum Theatre. These words from Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities bookend the dystopia of The Evolution Revolution. It’s several lifetimes on from today, when society and countries have collapsed, and where this pocket of the planet is ruled by Lord Pinkle Dinkle Smith the Third.

Looking for Albanese

By Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe, and Phillip Scott. The Wharf Revue. QPAC Playhouse. Feb 21-25, 2023

What a joy that we no longer have travel to Sydney to see the acclaimed Wharf Revue (not that there’s anything wrong with it). Now we can wallow in the comfort that is QPAC and pat ourselves on the back because Sydney has come to us with its new offering, Looking for Albanese, and if you don’t understand the literary reference in the title, you probably shouldn’t be in this audience.

Adriana Lecouvreur

Composed by Francesco Cilea. Libretti by Arturo Colautti. Opera Australia. Directed by Rosetta Cucchi. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. Feb 20 – Mar 7, 2023

There was drama before the curtain opened when it was announced that star soprano Ermonela Jaho was ill, and was to be replaced in the lead role of Adriana by Natalie Aroyan.

It fills me with terror the thought of being thrown into a lead role on opening night – but Ms Aroyan rose to the occasion, earning a special rousing reception for her accomplished performance.

Broadway Diva

Adelaide Fringe: World Premiere. The Barbara Hardy Garden at Holden Street Theatres. Tue 21 Feb - Thu 23 Feb, Fri 24 Feb, Sat 25 Feb, 2023

On a hot summer’s night, the Barbara Hardy Sunken Garden at Holden Street Theatres is the perfect spot (you must forgive the dratted airplane noise) for 60 minutes of those ‘earworm songs’, the songs that stay with you even if you only know a smattering of the music or lyrics, and it is 20 of these both very well-known and lesser loved Broadway, West End and some Opera classics that soprano Olivia Ruggiero uses to create her World Premiere show, Broadway Diva.

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